Part 3.1 ArrivingThe decision was made, I would be traveling to Nepal for a month. I had the Annapurnas on my mind, a happy heart looking forward to time with friends, and a body full of energy looking to make up for the summer of inactivity. I bought sturdy trekking poles to keep my balance and assist my leg in trekking, as well as a 45L Osprey pack to keep my load light. My friends and I were well versed in backcountry travel in the states. The Annapurna Circuit offered us a unique trekking experience. Instead of tents, we stayed in tea houses/guest houses. Villages appear all throughout the trek, going at most three hours without walking through one. Instead of packing all of our food, we ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the tea houses along the trail. Hiking the Annapurna Circuit is estimated to take 12-18 days. We had a loose itinerary. Communication was crucial for us as a group of six. Luckily, mealtimes offered us the perfect time to hash out the potential for the day. We had done our research and had our guidebooks for reference, but nothing came close to the experience on the ground. Traveling from the states to Nepal was a feat in itself. Five of us were able to get the same flight out of SFO. It took 33 hours of travel (19 hours in the air and 14 hours of layover) until we arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal. We arrived around 10:30 pm and luckily we arranged a shuttle to pick us up from the airport and take us to our hotel, Ganesh Himal. Our trip was sandwiched between two of Nepal’s largest festivals (Dashain and Tihar). October is also the best trekking season because of the good weather. Therefore, the airport was packed with people, only a glimpse of the crowds we would experience while in Kathmandu. Our hotel was bliss. It was tucked away from the busy streets and had a relaxing garden space. My jet lagged body was very grateful for that welcoming atmosphere. As a group, we decided to stay in Kathmandu for only two nights, using the one full day to get our permits and a ride to Besi Sahar arranged. We arranged a private car to take us to Besi Sahar. With the festival in full swing, we were advised against taking public transport (aka tourist bus) because they would be full. If there was any way to begin to conquer my fear of being in a vehicle post-accident, it was getting into that private car. There is no traffic laws on the road. There is a constant stream of horns, but not your typical horns –imagine horn meets ice cream truck playlist. Our ride from Kathmandu to Besi Sahar was 6 hours of bumpy, twisty, turny, bumper to bumper, cliff side chaos. We arrived in one piece. We found space at one of the tea houses and settled into a large room with 5 small beds. Part 3.2 Annapurna Circuit The next day marked our first day on the Annapurna Circuit. There was an option to take a jeep along the road to bypass the first day or two of hiking, but we said HECK NO. We were all so ready to stretch our legs. The morning before we started to hike a few of us awoke early and saw the first glimpses of the Himalayas in the distance. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning! The snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas were just a few trekking days away. My leg was feeling pretty good. I had a slight limp because of all the walking through the Kathmandu and time spent crammed in uncomfortable seats. I decided I would power through for 6-7 days on the trail, but likely cut my trip short in Manang. I wrote in my journal, “It will be a celebration for me if I can make it to Manang!” Our first day really set the stage for the remainder of the trip. We were started at elevation (830m). The trail followed along the Marsyangdi Khola river which gave life to the lush green landscape all around us. We hiked past the guide book recommendation for the first night’s stay, fueled by the excitement of being on trail. We took an alternative trail to Upper Ngadi. As we walked through this village, I felt the sensation of peace and hospitality surround me. The path led us to cross a suspension bridge, hovering over the roaring river below us. We stopped to decide how much farther we would walk for the day and when a townsperson told us the next village was 1:30 hours away, uphill, we called it a day. But the day was not nearly over! I jumped in the shower right away to cleanse the humid inducing muck away. As soon as I got out, everyone was getting their things together to follow some of the local children to a swimming spot in the river! They guided us down the cliff side, hacking our way through brush. With a few scrapes and falls, we made it to the swimming spot! The fun was just beginning. We played around for a while there then made it back to our tea house. I sat down with my ukulele and began to write a song with Ande. A few minutes later, a swarm of children come running into the yard! Along side them marched Ian, Wade, Nico, and Sean (the men of our group). The guys seemed to have rallied them up for a giant play fest. It was pretty hilarious watching the kids jump all over the guys, connecting by the universal language of play and laughter. The kids scurried back to their families when the sun began to set. My friends and I ended the night together as we would for the next 17 days, huddled around a dining table munching on a combination of momos, noodles, pizzas, yak, and dal bhat. We cheered one another with our first glasses of local alcohol and settled in with high hopes for the rest of the trek. The following two weeks were packed with waterfalls, towering mountains, welcoming tea houses, stairs, roads, mealtimes, rest, awe, exhaustion, and learning. And guess what?! I made it past my anticipated bail point, Manang, and was able to complete the circuit with my friends!! Our itinerary turned out to look like this: Day 1: Trek from Besi Sahar to Bhulbue for lunch, dinner/sleep/breakfast Upper in Ngadi (900m) Day 2: Trek from Upper Ngadi to Ghermu for lunch, dinner/sleep/breakfast in Jagat (1330m) Day 3: Trek from Jagat to Tal for lunch, dinner/sleep/breakfast in Karte(1850m) Day 4: Trek from Karte to Timang for lunch, dinner/sleep/breakfast in Koto (260m) Day 5: Trek from Koto to Bhratang for lunch, dinner/sleep/breakfast in Upper Pisang (3310) Day 6: Trek from Upper Pisang to Ngawal (3660m) for lunch, dinner/sleep/breakfast in Mungji (3500m) Day 7: Half day trek from Mungji to Manang (3540m) rest/shop/movies Day 8: Rest and acclimate in Manang. Day hike to Chongkor View Point overlooking Gangapurna Lake Day 9: Trek from Manang to Yak Kharka (4020m) Day 10: Trek from Yak Kharka to Letdar for lunch, dinner/sleep/breakfast in Thorung Phedi (4540m) Day 11: Trek from Thorung Phedi to Summit Thorung La (5416 m), descend to Chabaru (4190m) for lunch, dinner/sleep/breakfast Muktinath/Ranipauwa (3800/3710m) Day 12: Rest day in Muktinath/Ranipauwa. Shopping, Restaurant Bob Marley, visit monasteries and temples. Day 13: Trek from Ranipauwa to Kagbeni for lunch (YacDonalds!), dinner/sleep/breakfast in Jomsom (2760m) Day 14: Half day trek from Jomsom to Marpha(2680m) shop, eat/drink lots of apple products, rest Day 15: Trek from Marpha to random mystery village for lunch, dinner/sleep/breakfast in Kokhethati Day 16: Trek from Kokhethati to Kalapani for lunch, dinner/sleep/breakfast in Ghasa (2000m) Day 17: Trek from Ghasa to Tatopani(1190m), dinner/hot springs/sleep/breakfast Day 18: Full day in Tatopani, rest/shop/figure out bus back to Pokhara Day 19: Bus from Tatopani to Beni, Bus from Beni to Pokhara I am flooded with memories as I recall each of day on the trek. It was one of the more difficult and rewarding experiences I have done to date, a true test of grit and stamina. The diversity of the towns from Besi Sahar to Tatopani was astonishing. The trail on days 1-3 led us through humid-jungle like environment. Everywhere we’d looked we’d see banana trees, taro, rice fields, gardens, waterfalls. As we climbed in elevation the landscape changed dramatically. I fell ill the night of day 3, creating a tough few day to follow for me. Luckily, Days 4-7 greeted us with a dry and cool breeze that made hiking easier. The trail climbed more steadily compared to the first few days. At this point, when we would look around we were surrounded by epic rock exposure, waterfalls, pines, and views of the Annapurnas. Day 8 on the trail offered my favorite landscape. We hiked a steep hillside that led us to the best view of Annapurna II on the trek. We continued along the high route of the trail, giving us a birds eye view of the towns below and the distant mountains of the Manang district. Towards the afternoon we were hit with a heavy rainstorm, making the glacier carved cliff in the distance very ominous. As we neared the town of Mungji, one side of the trail was reminiscent of the Sierras and the opposite side like the deserts of Utah. Day 7-9 offered a cozy town to acclimatize in. Surrounding the town were lakes, rivers, high mountains, and fields for farming and grazing. I would sit on the rooftop at our tea house, jammin’ on the uke, staring off at the expansive sights. Day 9-11 was a dramatic climb and descent. The trail traversed the cliff sides, at first glance it may appear desolate but with a closer look, the hills were covered in colorful brush and wildlife sightings became more frequent as the human population decreased. To be on top of Thorung La was a literal headrush. Luckily none my friends nor I got altitude sickness. I was able to keep up with the group with the assistance of a porter to carry my 45L bag. When we reached the summit, we were still so low compared to the towering mountains around us. It was a celebration at the top, with a wall of prayer flags providing us the assurance that we had made it. The descent to Muktinath was barren and foggy. I was filled with relief as we began to see the towering temples and tea houses of the town. Muktinath is a highly sought out religious pilgrimage for both Hindu and Buddhist faiths. The town was the 3rd largest town we visited while in Nepal, second to Kathmandu and Pokhara. Our guide book was full of recommendations for sights to see and places to eat while in Muktinath/Ranipauwa so we decided to spend a rest day in the area. We ate at the popular Bob Marley’s hotel, which was definitely worth the wait. Sometimes when you order pizza or burrito in Nepal, you end up with something far from desirable, but Bob Marley restaurant met all our expectations! We walked to two of Buddhist nunneries. Unfortunately I was sick during this rest day, so I went back to the tea house to rest while my friends went to the Hindu temple of Muktinath. We continued on our trek, following the road for days 13-14. We dodged trucks, motocycles, dust, and wind. The stretch between Kagbeni (a must stop for the imfamous Yacdonalds! Best Yak burger ever!) to Jomsom was incredible. We trekked through a valley, following the silver streams and limestone cliffs. There was a strong wind current against us, but there was certainly something special about that valley. The town of Jomsom was crowded with other trekkers. Jomsom has an airport so it is a common place for trekkers to start or end their trek as well as for locals to fly in to start the pilgrimage to Muktinath. We found it difficult to find a tea house that wasn’t full or well priced, but luckily before dark we settled into a tea house. On day 14, we took an alternative trail to avoid walking along the dusty road. Although it was not always clear which direction to go, the scenery was gorgeous! We saw wild horses, a lake, and views of Annapurnas. Day 14 was only a half day so we arrived the town of Marpha early afternoon. I vote Marpha as my favorite town on the trek. It is surrounded by apple orchards and every shop you go into probably offers a local apple product. I bought apple cider, apple juice, apple leather, and apple pie! The streets were narrow, with tall buildings, a monastery sitting at the top of the town, and stone/brick layered streets. We had a nice time walking the streets and playing card games at the tea house. Day 15 was a clusterfck in my mind. I was so twisted around and consistently felt like we were not on the right path (we were). There was an unexpected amount of ups/downs that day, but it was also a gorgeous temperate forest setting that was comforting. On day 16, we had a mixture of road trekking and trail trekking. The climate shifted from the cool woods to the humid jungle. We passed large stretches of land with wild marijuana growing, giving us all a good laugh. Towards the end of the day, we began the steep descent to Ghasa. Descending on stairs is worse than ascending, especially with the wet and inconsistent stone staircases we were climbing. I knew Tatopani would be the end of my journey, avoiding the last two days of the circuit. One of my friends, Nico, decided to continue on but the other 4 agreed they are were ready for a change of pace in Pokhara. Part 3.3 PokharaWe decided to omit the last two days of the circuit, Poon Hill. My leg could only handle so much and it turned out that my friends held similar sentiments. One day, I will go back to experience the views of the Himalayas from Poon Hill, but I am thankful for the decision to head to Pokhara early. The town of Pokhara is bustling with opportunity. It is a lakeside town, known to be a popular tourist destination. It was a great change of pace from the go-go-go on the trek. The six of us stayed at the same hotel, but we were all free to move at our own pace and explore the aspects of the town that interested us as individuals. The streets were full of shops: coffee shops, bakeries, book shops, outdoor gear, clothing, Tibetan gifts, etc. The lakeside trail offered a serene escape from the busy streets. After a few days exploring the town of Pokhara, I signed up for a 3 day/4 night yoga & fasting program at the Sadhana Retreat Center. The retreat center was nestled high in the hills above Pokhara, offering beautiful views of the lake. Every afternoon paragliders were hovering above the lake, offering a picturesque memory. (Two of the paragliders may have been my friends Wade and Ian!) I fell into the routine of the retreat very nicely. It felt great to practice physical and mental discipline with the fasting component of the program. By the end of the retreat, my body felt stronger than ever before! I was amazed with how strong my injured leg felt, the trip was exactly the rehabilitation I needed. Part 3.4 Full CircleThe last leg of our trip led us back to Kathmandu. I was so overwhelmed with the city when we first arrived to Nepal, but upon return I felt more confident in my ability to navigate or just wander aimlessly without fear. We got to experience the city during the pinnacle of Tihar, a celebration of brother and sister. The city was decorated with colorful mandalas, marigold garlands, and lights. It was beautiful walking around the streets of Timal at night. Another highlight of Kathmandu was visiting the “Monkey temple.” Just imagine hundreds of monkeys running free, bouncing off of buildings and swinging on prayer flags. It was a hilarious sight to experience in the sacred temple. We also witnessed a unique merge of cultures while out and about one night. We walked into a live concert, rock music being blasted in the town square. The band was playing on top of a gompa with the monastery across the street. The contrast of the rock music with the Buddhist art was striking and sort of hilarious. Overall, traveling through Nepal was a phenomenal experience. I would love to return one day and spend an extended time in one of the more remote villages. The people of Nepal are gracious, curious, and welcoming. I returned to the United States feeling like I grew from the experience.Stronger in my physical body and mental body, tested yet rewarded. Namaste.
7 Comments
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